FSH: DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST

January 26th, 2010 11:30pm PST

David's Daily Digest

[My Take]

More football news and happenings from around the league; here’s the latest I am hearing, reading, and following with my take on things and how they will impact the coming fantasy week……

Player Notes From Across My Wire...

Thomas looks for big day in big dance....

The Saints running back Pierre Thomas did not have a big day on the ground against the Vikings number two run defense, but he was effective at time and totaled nearly 100 yards of offense. Against the Colts (ranked 24th against the run) he'll face a less formidable front and should be a huge part of the Saints ground attacked.

Wayne set to breakout on Super Sunday...

The Colts big play receiver and one of Peyton Manning's go-to playmakers, Reggie Wayne was pretty much held in check against the Jets on Sunday catching just three passes for 55 yards. Wayne has just 118 yards receiving in the post season and with the Saints not having any corner of the same calibre as the Jets Darrelle Revis, expect Manning to get his 100-catch receiver involved early and often in the big dance on Super Sunday.

Bush will need to bounce back....

The Saints are going to need a full compliment of weapons to keep pace with the great Peyton Manning. One of the keys will be running back Reggie Bush who can add that estra dimension when he runs well. He'll need to clean up his play for the big dance on Super Sunday; no room for error.

IDP Notes....

Colts will need to apply pressure….

Against the Jets in the AFC championship the Colts defense did a great job slowing down the leagues number one rushing offense, but they were unable to get to the rookie quarterback. Defensive ends Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney will have to bring their best game to apply the needed pressure on Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Mathis and Freeney (23 sacks combined) will have to do a better job of getting to Brees (sacked 20 times in 2009) if they hope to slow the Saints offense.

Check back with "Your Fantasy Sports Home" for more Football to digest....

FSH: MONDAY MORNING HUDDLE

January 26th, 2010 - 8:25pm PST

[Tuesday Edition]

Monday Morning Huddle

Championship Weekend

Well it the weekend ended pretty much in the fashion how many expected, although how we got there was a bit surprising in some sense. Missed opportunities and pure experienced highlighted the AFC matchup with Peyton Manning proving to be too skillful even for a Rex Ryan defense. In the nightcap, miscues and misfortune highlighted some of the action as the Saints too advantage and converted opportunity into destiny.

Both teams (Vikings and Saints) started fast with a few early scores in the first quarter and the game had the look of a track meet to start, but as both defenses started to settle in the offenses would very much have to earn their keep.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees led the charge passing for 197 yards and tossing three touchdowns. The offense was not spectacular on Sunday, but effective making the plays it needed to make. Brees and the Saints capitalized on the Vikings mistakes (5-turnovers) and turned possible defeat into victory.

It was a tough and bitter defeat for the Vikings, in particular Brett Favre who ended his only season with the Vikings with a turnover (interception). It was the third consecutive season that Favre ended his season with an interception; hardly the legacy who should be remember for.

The Saints were the number one offensive team in the league and finished with the second best record in the NFL, so there's no question they are deserving of their first ever appearance in the Super Bowl against the Colts.

Favre and the Vikings had a great season and made a great run, but in no way should the golden boy carry the weight of this loss on his sole shoulders. There were costly turnovers in the game long before his late interception that did the Vikings in, as well as a critical penalty down the stretch that took them out for seeming field goal range.

Congratulations to the Saints

Despite some of the late questionable calls or missed calls down the stretch of the NFC title bout, take nothing away from the New Orleans Saints winners); they deserve to be in the Super Bowl. By virtue of their win alone they are deserving, but also credit their physical play on Sunday.

The Saints brought their number one offense into this matchup and while Brees and company had struggles moving the ball at times against the Vikings stout defense, the passing game was still able to produce with three scoring plays. The biggest scoring play came late in the game when Reggie Bush caught a 5-yard pass in the flat and turned up field just inside the pylon to give the home team the lead, 28-21.

The Saints defense not to be outdone brought the wood and laid the hurt on Favre and company and that just may have been the biggest difference down the stretch of Sunday's classic tilt. The Saints defense harassed the Vikings signal caller; although Favre was not sacked he was hit relentlessly and may have played a big part in his ill-fated turnover down the stretch. The defense physical style of play was also responsible for four fumbles and five turnovers.

The Saints had a few miscues of their own with some untimely mishandles, but in the end they made all the plays they needed; two interceptions, four forced fumbles, and a game-winning 40-yard field goal.

With the victory on Sunday, Drew Brees has come full circle. Over the past several season he has led one of the league’s most explosive offenses and without that championship ring he has often been overlooked among the elite. With a chance to win his first championship Brees has a chance to complete the circle and put to rest any doubt about his deserving to be grouped with the likes of Manning and Brady as one of the elite.

The Saints are the deserving NFC Champions and with the league’s top rated offense, they will challenge for their first Super Bowl Championship ever.

Injury notes from Sunday...

RB-Pierre Thomas (Saints)...looks good for SB Sunday.

RB-Joseph Addai (Colts)....expected to start SB Sunday.

WR-Robert Meachum (Saints)....ankle should be fine for SB.

TE-Jeremy Shockey (Saints)....suffered no setbacks Sunday.

DL-Dwight Freeney (Colts)....fractured arm, will play.

Quick Notes:

The Saints quarterback Drew Brees has passed for only 444 yards in the post season, but he has thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions in 63 passes. He'll face the leagues 14th ranked pass defense in Super Bowl XLIV.

The Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has passed for over 600 yards in the post season while completing 67 percent of his passes. He has also thrown five touchdowns with only one pick and will face the leagues 26th ranked pass defense that finished third in the NFL with 26 picks.

Remember to check back for more "Monday Morning Huddle!"

FSH: NFL DRAFT REVIEW

January 23rd, 2009 - 8:30pm PST

2009 Draft Review

Working with the staff over at the NFL Draft Bible, the following is my assessment of how the Seahawks did with their seven 2009 draft picks. The grade is based on the pick, considering when the pick was taken and how the player developed or did not. For complete coverage of all 32 teams, check out the NFL Draft Bible.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 2009 DRAFT REVIEW

(1-4) Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest: The Seahawks first pick Aaron Curry started out the 2009 season strong, but struggled down the stretch finishing his rookie season with just two sacks. Injuries and inconsistency limited his play in the second half of the season. And for being the 2009 fourth overall draft pick, next season he'll need to improve. Grade: C+

(2-49) Max Unger, OT, Oregon: The Seahawks rookie offensive lineman went to work right away in 2009 starting all 16 games. The native Hawiian did a commendable job on a makeshift line that struggled with pass protection all season. Unger has the look of the being one of the anchors of the offensive line for seasons to come, but he'll need more help. Grade: B+ (Pick received from Bears)

(3-91) Deon Butler, WR, Penn State: The third round pick out of Penn State did not see a lot of opportunity in his first season. Injuries at the quarterback position disrupted any rhythm on offense in 2009 and Butler found himself lost in the shuffle. Unable to crack into any significant playing time in 2009, the kid will have a chance next season to earn his stripes. Grade: C (Pick received from Giants through Eagles)

(6-178) Mike Teel, QB, Rutgers: The Seahawks quarterback out of Rutgers did very little his first year to turn any heads within the organization. Teel spent his rookie season as the team's third string quarterback and was unable to beat out wildcat specialist Seneca Wallace for the number two spot. With the recent coaching change in Seattle Teel's future may be a little cloudy. Grade: C (Compensatory selection)

(7-245) Courtney Greene, SS, Rutgers: Another Rutgers product, Greene expected to add depth to the secondary, but a preseason injury curtailed his career in Seattle and landed him in Jacksonville. After the Seahawks waived Greene he was expected to resign, but the Jaguars stepped in and inked a deal with the kid. Grade: F (Compensatory selection)

(7-247) Nick Reed, DE, Oregon: The undersized native Californian had a lot of promise coming off an impressive preseason. His lack of size may have caught up to him as Reed was not highly productive for an NFL defensive end. He did have one shinning moment in Week 5 with a 79-yard fumble return for a touchdown. He'll have to work a lot harder this offseason if he hopes to make more plays on defense. Grade: C- (Compensatory selection)

(7-248) Cameron Morrah, TE, California: The former Golden Bear was a late seventh round selelction. With John Carlson locked in as the number one, Morrah was burried at the third string spot. With just one reception for all of 2009, he'll be a work in progress this offseason and will be competing for a spot on the roster in 2010. (Compensatory selection)

Keep checking for more Draft review of the NFC West Division, next the San Francisco 49ers...

FSH: CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND INJURY NOTES

January 23rd, 2009 - 11:17am PST

Championship Round

Infirmary Report

Injury Updates for Championship Weekend

(Some recent player injury news; updated Saturday Jan. 23rd)

Offensive Player Injuries

Joseph Addai-RB (Colts)

The Colts running back Joseph Addai (shoulder) practiced all week and is listed as probable for Sunday's AFC Championship matchup with the Jets. The Jets boast one of the leagues better run defenses, so yards on the ground will be tough to come by for Addai and company.

Percy Harvin-WR (Vikings)

The Vikings rookie receiver Percy Harvin (migraines) has struggled with the migraine headaches missing some action down the stretch of the 2009 season. Despite the recent reports of the migraines, he appeared fine on Friday and will be traveling with the team. He's questionable for Sunday and likely to be game-time, but it sounds like he'll be playing.

Robert Meachum-WR (Saints)

The Saints wide receiver Robert Meachum (ankle) is expected to play and be close to 100 percent after working on a limited basis earlier in the week. The team is encouraged by his progress, which will be good news for the Saints vaunted passing attack. Meachum was a non-factor last week with no catches, but could be more instrumental on Sunday.

Jeremy Shockey-TE (Saints)

The Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey (knee) did not practice on Friday and is questionable for Sunday's NFC title game against the Vikings. With Shockey's injury history, he's likely to be a game-time decision. If he sits, a more than capable back up Dave Thomas could see a few more throws his direction on Sunday.

Defensive Player Injuries

Antoine Winfield-DB (Vikings)

The Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield (foot) was limited for a third straight day of practice. He's expected to play Sunday against the Saints, but could once again see limited duty as a result of the foot injury.

Kevin WIlliams-DL (Vikings)

The Vikings defensive lineman Kevin Williams (knee) was listed questionable for Sunday after missing two days of practice this week. He was able to return Friday, but he'll still be a question mark and likely game-time. The beefy run stuffer has been a big key to the Vikings 2nd ranked run defense, if he's missing this will be a huge break for the Saints ground attack.

Shaun Ellis-DL (Jets)

The Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis (hand) is expected to play Sunday against the Colts despite breaking his left hand in the team's divisional match up against the Chargers. Ellis will likely wear some type of protective cast on the hand for the title matchup and will have surgery following the game.

Ray Edwards-DL (Vikings)

The Vikings have a lot of questions and concerns along their defensive line for Sunday's title game, but are expecting defensive end Ray Edwards to give it a go. He sat out practice earlier in the week, but returned Friday wearing a brace. He's listed as questionable, but the team is hopeful he can play.

Don't forget to check every Sunday morning for "Game-time" updates....

FSH: (WEDNESDAY) WATERCOOLER CHAT

January 20th, 2009 - 11:05pm PST

Watercooler Chat

Where these games could go....

The Vikings bring with them the number two ranked run defense in the league and will surely make it difficult for Brees and company to establish any kind of a ground game on Sunday. Stopping the run will be a key for Minnesota's secondary, which could be vulnerable against a Drew Brees with time to throw. Last week the boys (Edwards, Allen, Williams, & Williams) did a great job slowing down the Cowboys run game (92 yards rushing). Once the Cowboys were forced to throw, Allen and company broke loose recording six sacks. This is what the Vikes will be looking to do on Sunday. Force Brees into obvious passing situations and go get the quarterback.

Staying with the NFC picture, on offense it will be a different story for the Vikings this week. They have perhaps one of the very best if not the best running back in the game today in Adrian Peterson. The Saints have shown to be vulnerable against the run ranked 21st and allowing 4.5 yards per carry. Peterson has yet to be a big factor in the playoffs, but this Sunday could be a different story for the former NFL rushing champion. All-day has only two 100-yard rushing games this season, could see another heavy work-load (26 carries last week). You can bet it Peterson tops 25 carries on Sunday, he's going to have a big day on the ground.

Wayne says...

Never without an opinion, but maybe not much of a brain Wayne offers his thoughts on this weekend's matchups....

The Saints have managed to trounce on most of their opponents this season, but clearly last weekend they faced a much inferior defense that just didn't have the playmakers to match up. That won't be the case this weekend. The Vikings have the ability to turn the Saints offense into one dimensional. Passing on first down will be key for the Saints to keep a balanced attack with short yardage on 2nd and 3rd downs. This will allow effective play-action to keep the Vikings defense on their heels.

The Colts don't care how you play defense against their quarterback, he's going to check at the line and constantly pre-read the defense. The two biggest keys for the Jets will be execution on defense and running the ball of offense. Manning is going to go through his pre-snap reads, whatever the defense dials up they must execute and they must get in Manning's face. On offense the Jets have to run effective, move the chains, eat the clock, and they must stay out of third and long.

Player Watch for the Title tilts...

Once again here a few players of note that fantasy owners should consider riding or hiding for the coming weekend of games. Keep these players on your watch list, you just may want to give them a hard look come Sunday;

(Start) Brett Favre

The Vikings quarterback is playing real well with 10 touchdown passes and no interceptions. The Saints exploited the Cards defense last week and forced them to play catch-up, that’s not likely to happen this week. As long as its competitive, Favre will be able to mix the pass with the run; start him.

(Start) Shonn Greene

The Colts struggle with the run and if the Jets keep this one close Shonn Greene is going to see a lot of work. What the rookie has shown this post season is his ability to run with power and make big plays. Greene already has a 39 yard and a 53 yard touchdown run in the post season; start him.

(Sit) Pierre Thomas

Thomas is not quite 100 percent running with sore ribs. Last week against the Cardinals he was limited to 13 carries, partly due to the big lead the Saints built, but the ribs have to be a concern. Thomas scampered his way to 52 yards, but he's not likely to be as productive on the ground this week; sit him.

(Start) Percy Harvin

The Vikings took advantage of their lanky and tall receiver Sidney Rice against the Cowboys smaller corners. The Saints will have to compensate for their undersized corners likely with safety Darren Sharper over the top and that could leave Percy Harvin with a lot of single coverage. Harvin is a Favre favorite and a playmaker, so expect him to be involved; start him.

(Sit) Braylon Edwards

The Jets haven't much of a pass game and with the emphasis being on the run this Sunday nothing is likely to change. Although Edwards could present some downfield challenges he's only caught four passes for 56 yards in two games.

Check back every week for more "Watercooler Chat"